Abstract
Abstract Objectives: this study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile and prevalence of hepatitis B infection in pregnant women living in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study concerning the prevalence of Hepatitis B in a cohort of women who gave birth in Rio Branco from 2007 to 2015. Data were obtained through health information systems. Pregnant women presenting one or more serological markers or positive molecular biology examination were considered confirmed cases of infections. Infection prevalence, the odds ratio (5% significance) and sociodemographic, clinical, obstetric and neonatal variable frequency distributions were calculated. The student's t-test and Mann Whitney test were applied, as well as the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, at a significance level of 5%. Results: a total of 62,100 pregnant women were identified for the study period. The prevalence of Hepatitis B in the group was of 0.38% (206 cases), and only 12,5% were diagnosed during the first gestation trimester. A significant difference (p=0.034) in the mean age of infected women was observed when compared to those without infection. The chance of an infected pregnant woman giving birth to a child with a 1st Apgar minute <7 was of 2.01 (CI95%= 1.09-3.71; p=0.995), higher than observed for healthy pregnant woman. Concerning infected patients, the most reported risk exposure was dental treatment (19.2%). Conclusions: the prevalence of Hepatitis B among pregnant women was lower than reported in other national studies. Low Hepatitis B detection during the first gestation trimester was identified, which reinforces the need to intensify early diagnosis during prenatal follow-up, especially due to the severity of the disease and the possibility of vertical transmission.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis is one of the most serious and prevalent infectious diseases worldwide
One million deaths worldwide are attributed to viral hepatitis, and estimates indicate about 257 million people worldwide are hepatitis B carriers.[1]
A total of 254 hepatitis B cases were reported in the SINAN database, with laboratorial confirmation during the study period
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hepatitis is one of the most serious and prevalent infectious diseases worldwide. It is still neglected by both health services and carriers. According to the 2017 Epidemiological Bulletin of Viral Hepatitis in Brazil, the age groups presenting the highest number of hepatitis B cases per 100,000 inhabitants are those ranging from 45 to 49 (12.6), 50 to 54 (11.8), 35 to 99 (11.4) and 40 to 44 years old (11.3). Hepatitis B prevalence among women was higher in the age group ranging from 25 to 39 years old.[2] This draws attention to the fact that this age group comprises women of reproductive age and, subject to becoming pregnant
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
